2008-07-24 15:55:05 -

www.hcwainwright.com - H.C. Wainwright & Co. Inc. ("HCW") announced today that two senior employees, Scott Hartzell, Managing Director and Co - Head of Capital Markets, and John Christmas, Managing Director, Capital Markets, have recently joined the firm. Mr. Hartzell joins HCW after three years at Cantor Fitzgerald & Company where he was Managing Director, Capital Markets and

Mr. Christmas after two years at CIBC where he was an Executive Director, Institutional Sales. Messrs. Hartzell and Christmas bring expertise in both transaction origination and distribution of international public and private financings. Mr. Hartzell joins Adam Ferencz, Co - Head of Capital Markets, in leading HCW's initiative to aggressively build the fixed income and equity sales and trading departments. Mr. Christmas joins Ms. Baranoff, Associate Director, Capital Markets, who started at HCW in 2007 and recently moved from Investment Banking to help build a strong foundation in Capital Markets and Institutional Sales.

The addition of Messrs. Hartzell and Christmas are key pieces to HCW's continued growth as an international boutique Investment Bank focused on emerging market origination and global capital markets distribution. "We are excited to have Scott and John at HCW. Their combined experience of over thirty years in global capital markets deepens our international origination capability and continues the growth of our capital markets platform. Scott and John's arrival complements the recent senior hires in Investment Banking. We will continue to expand our infrastructure with the addition of senior personnel in both Investment Banking and Capital Markets" said Adam Ferencz, Co Head of Capital Markets at HCW.

Mr. Hartzell and Christmas's origination and transactional experience spans a broad range of sectors and geographic regions, including: Energy and Transportation, Technology, Media, Homeland Security and Defense, Healthcare and Life Sciences, Business & Financial Services, Consumer Goods and Retail, Leisure and Hospitality; in such regions as China, India, Europe, and the US. Prior to HCW, Mr. Hartzell and Christmas were integral in originating, leading, and distributing transactions in excess of $5 billion of public and private international financings.

Prior to Cantor Fitzgerald, Mr. Hartzell was Managing Director and Head of Sales/Syndicate at Capital One Southcoast, Inc. and Vice President and Head of Equity Sales at A.G. Edwards and Sons, Inc. Mr. Hartzell began his career in the Institutional Sales and Asset Management department at Bear Stearns & Company and holds a BSBA and MBA from the John M. Olin School of Business, Washington University.

Prior to CIBC, Mr. Christmas was for over ten years a Vice President, Institutional Sales at JP Morgan Chase & Company and Friedman Billing Ramsey & Company. Mr. Christmas holds a BA in Business Management from Brown University.

Ms. Baranoff brings ten years of professional experience to the Capital Markets Department. Prior to joining H.C. Wainwright, Ms. Baranoff was a Senior Investment Banker at Cambria Capital. While at Cambria, she also served as Portfolio Manager of Bridges and Pipes, LLC. From 2000 to 2005, Ms. Baranoff worked at Bay Harbour Management, a hedge fund focused on distressed debt. From 1999 to 2000, she worked at Credit Lyonnais in the Latin America Sales and Trading Division. Ms. Baranoff holds both a BS and MBA from St. John's University.

Founded in 1868, H.C. Wainwright & Co., Inc. is one of the oldest private, independent investment firms in the United States. Headquartered in New York, HCW is a boutique investment bank focused on providing innovative corporate financial solutions and outstanding customer service to small and mid cap international and global emerging market companies. HCW has combined a global focus and presence with a nimble platform to provide our clients with financial services. HCW has set a high benchmark with its experienced and dedicated team of professionals who specialize in investment banking and institutional fixed income and equity sales and trading. In today's dynamic marketplace, our focus is simple: to provide the type of value-added products and services our clients require to maximize their growth potential. For further information about HCW please visit our website at: www.HCWainwright.com or contact Anthony Sarkis, Head of Investment Banking, at 212-856-5730.

H.C. Wainwright & Co. Inc.
Anthony Sarkis, 212-856-5730
Head of Investment Banking